Pakistan and Tajikistan are set to inaugurate their first-ever joint cultural festival, a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, with an opening ceremony scheduled for Thursday at the Convention Centre in the federal capital.
In preparation for the event today, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, welcomed a high-level Tajik delegation on Wednesday at Islamabad International Airport. The delegation is led by Ms. Sattoriyon Matlubakhon Amonzoda, the Minister of Culture for the Republic of Tajikistan.
Following the delegation”s arrival, a meeting between Minister Khichi and his Tajik counterpart, Ms. Amonzoda, concluded with a mutual agreement to enhance bilateral relations by leveraging cultural diplomacy.
The main festivities, titled the Pak-Tajik Cultural Festival, are slated for December 19 and 20 at Lok Virsa. The venue will be open to the public from noon to 8:00 pm on both Friday and Saturday.
The event is a collaborative effort, organized by the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa), the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), and the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture.
Attendees can expect a diverse program featuring live artisan demonstrations, handicraft exhibitions, and performances of folk music, dance, and theatre. A selection of authentic Pakistani and Tajik cuisine will also be available, alongside cultural seminars on the shared heritage of the two nations.
The schedule includes special programming, with film screenings planned for Friday morning from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and a Farsi language seminar set for the same time on Saturday.
The festival will feature performances by acclaimed Tajik artists. Vocalists Noziya Karomatullo, a recipient of the Medal ‘Hizmati Shoista,’ and Muhammadrafi Karomatullo, who holds the title of Zasluzhenny Artist of Tajikistan, are scheduled to perform.
Organizers describe the family-friendly gathering as an effort to promote friendship and mutual respect between the two countries, utilizing culture as a tool to foster stronger international ties and future cooperation.